Robotic Surgery for PWD patients

Published July 1, 2018

Many Pinoys with disabilities are already burdened with having to take so much maintenance medication that their livers and kidneys become weaker over time. If the need arises, later in life, for surgery or any invasive procedure, the PWD’s body will not heal as fast. Possibly, the PWD patient may not even benefit from the surgery as the healing process may be compromised.

Of the many advances in medicine, robotic surgery has yet to be on the agenda of many Filipino doctors. Though there are some who are known experts in robotic surgery, such as Dr. Rebecca Singson who is well-versed in the use of the Da Vinci laparascopic robot, majority have yet to know even the existence of this technology in the Philippines. The advantages of which can be life-saving for many PWD patients.

Robotic surgery is a minimally-invasive way of extracting or performing surgical procedures inside a human being’s body without having to cut the patient open. A patient, say with diabetes, will not heal as normal and will take longer in the hospital. An extended recuperation time in the hospital might create opportunities for a secondary infection and could result with the patient getting worse. Robotic laparoscopy will only necessitate four or five holes where the robot can work inside the body using flexible instruments accurately controlled by a trained surgeon from 5 meters away looking into a HD image of the patient’s insides.

It is no longer the stuff of sci-fi TV shows as the technology is already here. There might be an issue with the cost which could be in the hundreds of thousands of pesos, but the benefits definitely outweigh the cost. For patients who cannot afford a long recovery period caused by traditional surgery, robotic surgery may be the only life-saver available to them as against surgery that could make things worse.

Recovery for robotic surgery is faster than any traditional surgery procedure. The actual surgery could last anywhere from an hour to four hours depending on the nature of the condition. After the procedure, the patient’s wheeled into his room for recovery which is usually finished in two or three days at best. Normally, the patient is sent home two days after the procedure and recovery should be easy. If the patient is a working person, then he/she can be in the office a day or two after discharge.

For more information, you can check with the FB page for Robotic Surgery Philippines, where renowned robotic surgeon Dr. Rebecca Singson will answer your inquiries.